Instant stop device for a tape player-recorder

ABSTRACT

An instant stop device for a tape player-recorder includes a slide member having an arm projecting into the player cartridge receiving tunnel which is contacted by insertion of the cartridge and slid to actuate a spring loaded linkage which moves a latching member into engagement with a groove in the cartridge to hold the same in playing position with the tape being pressed between the cartridge pinch roller and the player capstan. The instant stop lever is a spring biased lever that is pushed to cause an arm to rotate in a manner to move the slide member and spring loaded linkage a sufficient amount to move the cartridge and pinch roller away from the capstan shaft so the tape cannot be driven in the player yet the player motor remains in operation driving the capstan so when the instant stop lever is released the spring action moves the cartridge back into the play position.

United States Patent 1 Murakami INSTANT STOP DEVICE FOR A TAPE PLAYER-RECORDER [75] Inventor: l-lajime Murakami, Onoda, Japan [73] Assignee: Alps Motorola, Inc., Tokyo, Japan The portion of the term of this patent subsequent to Mar. 26, 199i, has been disclaimed.

[22] Filed: Aug. 30, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 285,053

[ Notice:

[ 51 *July 1,1975

Primary Examiner-Vincent P. Canney Assistant ExaminerDavid K. Moore Attorney, Agent, or Firm-James W. Gillman; Donald J. Lisa [57] ABSTRACT An instant stop device for a tape playerrecorder includes a slide member having an arm projecting into the player cartridge receiving tunnel which is contacted by insertion of the cartridge and slid to actuate a spring loaded linkage which moves a latching member into engagement with a groove in the cartridge to hold the same in playing position with the tape being pressed between the cartridge pinch roller and the player capstan. The instant stop lever is a spring biased lever that is pushed to cause an arm to rotate in a manner to move the slide member and spring loaded linkage a sufficient amount to move the cartridge and pinch roller away from the capstan shaft so the tape cannot be driven in the player yet the player motor remains in operation driving the capstan so when the instant stop lever is released the spring action moves the cartridge back into the play position.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures I INSTANT STOP DEVICE FOR A TAPE PLAYER-RECORDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various instant stop mechanisms have been proposed for cartridge tape player-recorders but generally these have provided manual operations to both move the cartridge from the play position and to move it back into the play position. The slow action of moving the cartridge manually back into the play position has in the past introduced a certain amount of wow and flutter into the recording because on return to the play position with the manual mechanism it was difficult to achieve the proper pressure between the pinch roller and the capstan shaft. Furthermore in these types of players when the cartridge was removed from the play position, the tape player motor would stop and there was a time delay when the cartridge was moved back into the play position until proper recording could begin due to the necessity for the motor to reach the proper speed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide an improved instant stop device for a cartridge-type tape player/recorder.

It is another object of this invention to provide an instant stop device for a cartridge-type tape player/- recorder wherein it is possible to renew the recording operation of the tape player instantaneously after the release of the instant stop button.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved instant stop device for a cartridge-type tape player/recorder which greatly reduces wow and flutter" during the period immediately following the release of the instant stop device.

In one embodiment of this invention a first slide member has a bent portion or arm that is engaged by the cartridge on insertion into the player to slide the member thereby actuating a C-shaped lever through a toggle action to insert a latching roller into a notch in the cartridge which holds the cartridge in play position with the tape pressed between the cartridge pinch roller and the capstan shaft. Latching the cartridge in the play position also operates a microswitch to energize the player circuits and capstan drive motor. An instant stop device includes a pause button or lever which when pushed moves a second slide member against a spring bias to rotate a rotatable lever which rotates the C-lever against its toggle spring. The rotatable lever also includes a flat spring which pushes against the first slide member with the pause button being pushed to move the cartridge pinch roller away from the capstan shaft thereby stopping the drive of the tape through the cartridge; however, the microswitch is still held in position by the cartridge to keep the tape player motor running. The pause button has a device so it can be locked in the pause position, and when released the spring bias will immediately move the second slide member and rotatable lever to permit the C-lever and first slide member to move the cartridge back to the record position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1A is a plane view of the main portion of the tape player before inserting the tape cartridge therein;

III

FIG. 1B is a side view of part of the tape player of FIG. IA;

FIG. 2 is a plane view of the tape player of FIG. I with the tape cartridge inserted therein;

FIG. 3A is a plane view of the tape player of FIG. 2 showing the instant stop state achieved by pushing the pause lever;

FIG. 3B is a sectional view of a part of the device showing the parts for maintaining the instant stop state; and

FIG. 4 is a plane view of the tape player released from the instant stop state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, numeral I designates a unit of the tape player recorder provided with an opening 2 for a cartridge 3, numeral 4 is a magnetic head arranged at the inner part of the opening 2. Numeral 5 designates an indentation formed in the side wall of the cartridge 3, numeral 6 is a tape set in the cartridge 3 and numeral 7 is a pressure roller for pressing the tape 6.

A slide member 8 having a bent portion 10 at one end thereof is mounted slidably along pins 9, 9. When the cartridge 3 is inserted, the bent portion 10 is pressed by the cartridge 3 and acts to slide member 8. The C- shaped lever 11 is pivoted on a post 12, one end 13 of which is disposed at such a position as to contact with the slide member 8. A roller 15 is rotatably mounted on a post 14 at the central corner of the C-shaped lever 11. The roller 15 goes into and out of the opening 5 according to the rotation of the C-shaped lever 11 around the post I2. Numeral 18 designates a spring extended between a pin 16 mounted on the unit I and a pin 17 mounted on the C-shaped lever 11, and it enables the toggle action of the C-shaped lever 11 around the post I2.

Numeral I9 is a pause lever permitted to slide along pins 21, 21 back and forth (as shown in FIG. IA), and a slide lever 20 also slides on pins 21, 21. A spring 22 urges the slide lever 20 and the pause lever 19 against their movement when being pressed. An indentation 23 formed at the side edge of the pause lever 19 is utilized for locking the pause lever 19, being fixed with a projecting part 24 of the unit 1 when the pause lever 19 is pushed and shifted to the right direction. A lever 25 rotatable around a post 27 is linked to the slide lever 20 by a post 26, and arranged to contact with the C- shaped lever II at one end 28 thereof. A rotatable lever 29, being urged in a given direction by a spring 31 extended between a hook 29a thereof and a hook of the pause lever 19, is mounted on the pause lever 19 and contacts with one end of slide lever 20 at the top 38 thereof. A flat spring 32 mounted on the lever 25, as mentioned below, contacts with the slide member 8.

The operation of the instant stop device of this contrivance, having the construction described above, is as follows. The cartridge 3 is in the state of FIG. 1A before its insertion into the opening 2. As the cartridge 3 is inserted into the opening 2, first it comes to contact with the bent portion 10 of the slide member 8, and then goes forward sliding the slide member 8 until it contacts with the one end 13 of the C-shaped lever 11, so that the C-shaped lever I1 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction around the post 12. When the pin 17 passes over the line AA (FIG. 1A) drawn between the center of the pin 16 and the post I2, the C-shaped lever 11 is rotated quickly in the counter-clockwise direction due to the toggle action of the overcenter spring 18. When the series of the above operation is ended, the roller 15 is fixed into the indentation 5 in the side wall of the cartridge 3, which has been now inserted in the desired position, and holds it with elasticity. Further, the pressure roller 7 presses the tape to the capstan 39 and the microswitch 34 is closed by the cartridge shifting the lever 33 so as to rotate the motor 35, the rotation of which is transferred by a belt 36 to a drum 37. Thus. the capstan 39 and the pressure roller 17 are rotated and the tape 6, contacting with the magnetic head 4, is transported (as shown in FIG. 2).

One of the advantages of this invention is to make it possible to stop the tape 6 temporarily while maintaining the rotation of the motor, if necessary, and to release such an instant stop state quickly. This instant stop operation will be described in order in the follow ing. When the pause lever 19 is pushed and the slide lever 20 is pressed against the spring 22 through the rotatable lever 29, the lever 25 is rotated around the post 27 in the clockwise direction and the end 28 thereof contacts with the C-shaped lever ll, so that the C- shaped lever 11 is also rotated in the clockwise direc tion. Then. the end 13 of the C-shaped lever 11 presses the slide member 8 and causes it to slide downward in the drawings, and thereby the cartridge 3 is pushed back by the bent portion 10. Simultaneously the flat spring 32 presses the slide member 8 to push it back. In this state. the lever 33 continues to be pressed by the cartridge 3 so that the microswitch 34 is kept ON and the capstan 39 therefore continues to rotate. The magnetic head 4 and the capstan 39, however, are separated from the tape 6 and the pressure roller 7 respectively and the tape 6 is thus stopped. If the pause lever 19 is shifted to the right and the projecting portion 24 is brought in the identation 23, the player/recorder will continue to operate in the pause condition (as shown in FIG. 3A).

In order to transport the tape 6 again, the pause lever 19 is shifted to the left so as to get out of the projecting portion 24. At this time, if the pushing pressure is maintained on the pause lever 19, the rotatable lever 29 is slightly rotated around the pin 30 in the clockwise direction, until the top 38 thereof is disconnected from the end of the slide lever 20. At this point the lever is rotated instantaneously as far as contacting with the hook 19a. Accordingly, the slide lever 20 is also reversed instantaneously by the bias of spring 22. The flat spring 32 serves to reverse the lever 25 in a moment in the counter-clockwise direction, together with the slide lever 20, due to the repulsive force thereof against the slide member 8 (as shown in FIG. 4). If the pause lever 19 is not pushed when getting out of the projecting portion 24. the rotatable lever 29 is not rotated and then the pause lever 19 and the slide lever 20 are rapidly reversed to the position shown in FIG. 1, i.e., the former position. while maintaining such a state as shown in FIG. 3A.

According to the instant stop device of this invention, it is possible to start again the recording operation of the tape player instantaneously after the release of the instant stop, since the microswitch 34 is kept ON and the motor 35 continues to rotate. Furthermore. the instant stop of the tape 6 is performed, as mentioned above, by releasing the pressure roller 7 from the capstan 39, that is caused by the fact that the pause lever 19 is pushed and then the cartridge 3 is pushed out through the slide lever 20, lever 25, C-shaped lever II and the slide member 8. Therefore, it is possible that the instant stop operation is performed simply in comparison with the conventional type, with no relation to the rotation of the capstan 39, and the tape is started again in a moment only by releasing the slide lever 20 from pressing.

I claim: 1. In a cartridge-type tape player adapted to receive an insertable cartridge and having a motor for powering a capstan shaft for moving the tape through the cartridge, the combination including a latching mechanism including slide means having an arm portion positioned to be engaged by the cartridge being inserted into the player, and a spring biased linkage coupled to said slide means and actuated thereby so that said linkage moves the cartridge into a first position and holds the same against the capstan shaft in the play position, and

an instant stop device including an actuating lever, control means engageable with said actuating lever to limit the movement of said actuating lever from a first position wherein the cartridge is held in the play position to a second position wherein the cartridge is held a predetermined distance away from the capstan shaft. spring means biasing the actuating lever to said first position, means coupling said actuating lever to said linkage, said actuating lever being movable from said first position against the bias of said spring means to said second position to move said linkage against its spring bias such that said arm portion of said slide means moves the cartridge a predetermined distance away from the capstan shaft and out of said first position.

release of said actuating lever of said instant stop device from said second position causing said spring means to return said actuating lever to said first position, and causing said spring biased linkage to return the cartridge to said first position against the capstan shaft from said second position.

2. The cartridge-type tape player of claim 1 further including locking means for locking said lever of said actuating instant stop device in said second position, and wherein upon release of said locking means said lever returns to said first position and the cartridge is instantaneously returned to the play position.

3. The cartridge-type tape player of claim 1 further including switch means, said switch means being operated to energize the tape player motor and having a portion of said switch means adapted to be engaged by the cartridge when moved to the play position by said spring biased linkage, and with said spring biased linkage being moved by said instant stop device to move the cartridge out of the play position. with the cartridge remaining in contact with said portion of said switch means whereby the tape player motor remains energized.

4. The cartridge-type tape player of claim 1 wherein said spring biased linkage includes a C-shaped lever engageable with said slide means. an overcenter spring and a locking roller connected to said C-shaped lever, whereby insertion of the cartridge into the player moves said arm portion to move said slide means thereby engaging said C-shaped lever to cause said overcenter spring to actuate to move said C-shaped lever thereby engaging said locking roller with the car- 6 the same to said first position, whereby moving said actuating lever to a second position causes said second slide plate to move thereby pivoting said second lever until the end thereof opposite said one end engages said C-shaped lever to move the same a predetermined amount against the bias of said overcenter spring to thereby engage said arm with the cartridge to move the same out of the play position.

a: a a: 

1. In a cartridge-type tApe player adapted to receive an insertable cartridge and having a motor for powering a capstan shaft for moving the tape through the cartridge, the combination including a latching mechanism including slide means having an arm portion positioned to be engaged by the cartridge being inserted into the player, and a spring biased linkage coupled to said slide means and actuated thereby so that said linkage moves the cartridge into a first position and holds the same against the capstan shaft in the play position, and an instant stop device including an actuating lever, control means engageable with said actuating lever to limit the movement of said actuating lever from a first position wherein the cartridge is held in the play position to a second position wherein the cartridge is held a predetermined distance away from the capstan shaft, spring means biasing the actuating lever to said first position, means coupling said actuating lever to said linkage, said actuating lever being movable from said first position against the bias of said spring means to said second position to move said linkage against its spring bias such that said arm portion of said slide means moves the cartridge a predetermined distance away from the capstan shaft and out of said first position, release of said actuating lever of said instant stop device from said second position causing said spring means to return said actuating lever to said first position, and causing said spring biased linkage to return the cartridge to said first position against the capstan shaft from said second position.
 2. The cartridge-type tape player of claim 1 further including locking means for locking said lever of said actuating instant stop device in said second position, and wherein upon release of said locking means said lever returns to said first position and the cartridge is instantaneously returned to the play position.
 3. The cartridge-type tape player of claim 1 further including switch means, said switch means being operated to energize the tape player motor and having a portion of said switch means adapted to be engaged by the cartridge when moved to the play position by said spring biased linkage, and with said spring biased linkage being moved by said instant stop device to move the cartridge out of the play position, with the cartridge remaining in contact with said portion of said switch means whereby the tape player motor remains energized.
 4. The cartridge-type tape player of claim 1 wherein said spring biased linkage includes a C-shaped lever engageable with said slide means, an overcenter spring and a locking roller connected to said C-shaped lever, whereby insertion of the cartridge into the player moves said arm portion to move said slide means thereby engaging said C-shaped lever to cause said overcenter spring to actuate to move said C-shaped lever thereby engaging said locking roller with the cartridge to move the same into play position against the capstan.
 5. The cartridge-type tape player of claim 4 wherein said instant stop device further includes a second slide plate, a second lever connected at one end thereof to one end of said second slide plate, a second arm, means pivotally connecting one end of said second arm to said actuating lever so that said second arm engages the end of said second slide plate opposite said one end, spring means connected to said second slide plate and biasing the same to said first position, whereby moving said actuating lever to a second position causes said second slide plate to move thereby pivoting said second lever until the end thereof opposite said one end engages said C-shaped lever to move the same a predetermined amount against the bias of said overcenter spring to thereby engage said arm with the cartridge to move the same out of the play position. 